Cube‐in‐Cube Hollow Cu9S5 Nanostructures with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities in Solar H2 Evolution |
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| Authors: | Miao Xu Min Wang Tiannan Ye Na Liang Lun Jin Dr Jiantao Zai Prof Xuefeng Qian |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (P.R. China), Fax: (+86)?21‐54741297;2. Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill, Coventry, CV4 7AL (UK) |
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| Abstract: | Hydrogen produced from water under solar energy is an ideal clean energy source, and the efficiency of hydrogen production usually depends on the catalytic systems based on new compounds and/or a unique nanostructure. Herein, well‐defined cube‐in‐cube hollow Cu9S5 nanostructures have been successfully prepared with Cu2O nanocubes and CS2 as precursors, and single‐shell hollow Cu9S5 nanocubes could be obtained by replacing CS2 with Na2S. The formation mechanism of cube‐in‐cube hollow nanostructures has been proposed based on the Kirkendell effect and an outward self‐assembly process. Further studies revealed that the cube‐in‐cube hollow Cu9S5 nanostructures exhibited better photocatalytic activity toward solar H2 evolution and would be a promising photocatalyst in the solar hydrogen industry. |
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| Keywords: | core– shell structures hydrogen evolution nanostructures photochemistry structure elucidation |
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